Muskegon County Sheriff's Department to increase marine patrols

The Muskegon County Sheriff Department's marine patrol officers will have more of a presence on area lakes this summer.

The regular patrols will be on the water a few more hours per week than they were last year, at least on Muskegon Lake and White Lake. And special patrols, geared to catch intoxicated boat drivers, will also be on patrol for several hours per week.

Meanwhile, one of the boats used by the sheriff's department will have an expensive new motor, thanks to a special state equipment grant of nearly $18,000.

Muskegon County commissioners, meeting Tuesday as the courts/public safety committee, voted to allow the county sheriff's department to accept a $92,295 marine safety grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

That grant is $7,448 more than the 2007 grant. Commissioners are expected to finalize their approval at their full board meeting next Tuesday.

Every year the sheriff's department determines how much it will patrol area lakes in the summer by the amount of money in its marine safety grant.

In 2005, the patrols were severely curtailed due to a lack of funds, while the last two summers they were back in full force when normal funding was restored.

This summer they should be on the lakes even more, due to the increase in the grant money from last year.

That means patrols will probably be on Muskegon Lake and White Lake 40 hours per week between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Last year they were on the lakes about 34 hours per week.

Inland lakes will continue to get about 16 hours of coverage per week, all on the weekends. Boat traffic is usually pretty thin on inland lakes on weekdays, Berdinski said.

Marine officers handed out approximately 50-65 citations on area lakes last year, mostly for minor infractions like having no life jackets or violating no wake zones, he said.

"They gave us a little bit more money for manpower," said Capt. Gary Berdinski, head of the sheriff's department marine patrol division. "It was not a huge increase, but it will allow us to increase from 34 to 40 hours per week (for the two bigger lakes)."

Added to that this year will be occasional sheriff's department boat patrols dedicated to catching drunk drivers on the lakes. The special patrols are being funded by a separate sheriff's department grant.

The boats will be manned with one marine officer and one certified deputy for several hours per week, Berdinslki said. Regular patrols have two marine officers.

The special patrols will probably focus on Muskegon Lake, the Muskegon Lake Channel area and White Lake, according to Berdinski.

There's apparently a difference of opinion in the law enforcement community about the extent of the drunk-driving problem on area waterways.

Berdinski said his officers arrested two drunks on the water last year, while the U.S. Coast Guard probably caught another 8-10. He wonders how many more drunks the special patrol will actually find.

"I don't think (it's a serious problem in this area), but the Coast Guard thinks it is," Berdinski said. "I don't think it's nearly as bad as it was 15 years ago. I thnk people are a little smarter about their actions and are using a designated driver on the boat more often.

"But some (drunks) will definitely be taken off the lake. More than what we would have gotten on our own."

The marine patrol will be aided by a new Honda 225 XL outboard motor, which will replace an old motor that has been running poorly for several summers, Berdinski said.

The new motor, which is being paid for with a special $17,949 DNR equipment grant, will get much better fuel mileage than the old one, Berdinski said.